Academy Choices

Jiang Shu—

Great Jing Dynasty Language/Writing: Minor Mastery (300/1000)

Horse Stance: Perfected (10/1000)

Hungry Tiger Sitting Cave Stance: Major Mastery (600/1000)

Hungry Tiger Breathing Method: Major Mastery (600/1000)

Tiger Form Three Styles: Perfected (10/1000)

With Qi Yuan feeding him moves and the support of Fox Bear meat, Jiang Shu's progress in the Refining, Nourishing, Striking Three Methods advanced by leaps and bounds. Today, the Tiger Form Three Styles had reached perfection.

The slanting moon shone over the Small Courtyard.

Jiang Shu moved like a tiger. Behind him, the fragrance of Fox Bear meat wafted endlessly from the barbecue grill.

Qi Yuan was not sitting in a chair. His Hungry Tiger Sitting Cave Stance had long since reached perfection. Crouching like a tiger, he picked up a skewer of meat, its aroma rushing straight at his nose.

He had never expected the barbecue made by his little junior brother to be so delicious.

With a brush of fragrant oil and a sprinkling of several spices, the Fox Bear meat that had once been hard to swallow—

Under this set of steps, it had transformed directly into supreme delicacy.

What miserable days had he been living before?!

Thank goodness for his little junior brother.

It was just a pity that even for him alone, this Fox Bear meat was somewhat insufficient.

With Jiang Shu added in, their daily consumption became even greater.

In only five days, the Fox Bear meat Qi Yuan had bought from the Black Market had been eaten by the two of them down to about half.

"Little Junior Brother, your Tiger Form Three Styles have reached perfection, but your vicious aura is still not heavy enough!"

Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes and leaped up. Having abstained from alcohol for five days, he spent roughly an extra hour each day practicing martial arts compared to before.

Power coursed through his entire body as he threw a punch.

"The martial arts of Pingling County's martial halls are basically based on visualizing birds and beasts. The Spinning Turtle Martial Hall's arts seek a steady temperament. The Antelope Martial Hall's arts emphasize an alert temperament."

"So those with calm dispositions go to the Spinning Turtle Martial Hall to train. Those of humble birth and cautious nature mostly train at the Antelope Martial Hall. Only when martial arts and temperament match can one advance by leaps and bounds."

"Our Hungry Tiger Martial Hall centers on one word: kill. Hungry Tiger Sitting in Cave is about brewing killing intent. If your vicious aura is not heavy and your killing intent is not strong, then when you practice the Hungry Tiger Howling Mountain Force, you will naturally be weaker by several degrees."

Qi Yuan instructed Jiang Shu as he fought. One punch blasted out, brimming with murderous intent. Ever since his all-night talk with Jiang Shu, it was as though an invisible shackle around him had gradually been cast off.

He was a true native of Pingling County.

Having lived in Pingling County for twenty years, he understood it better than Jiang Shu did!

The great households.

The County Government.

They stood before his body and his heart like barriers even more imposing than the distant mountain.

In times like these, in a county town like this—

Maintain a calm mindset like a turtle?

Be timid and cautious like an antelope?

What use was that!

Since one chose to practice martial arts—

Then one had to emerge from the cave like a tiger!

Qi Yuan's movements grew smoother and smoother. From time to time, he let out long howls, power circulating endlessly through his body. Suddenly, the power within him seemed to break through some barrier. The punch in his hand could no longer be held back and smashed directly into a stone post in the Small Courtyard.

Bang!

The stone post flew up.

Under the moonlight, Jiang Shu looked up and saw, to his astonishment, a clear fist imprint where the stone post had collided with Qi Yuan's fist!

Skin Grinding Realm.

Stone Skin!

Birth determined one's future.

The tide of the times could forge heroes!

If Qi Yuan had been on Xuanxing, then with his outstanding Martial Dao talent, he could have entered an Academy.

With access to sufficient Exotic Beast Meat resources, he would absolutely not be merely at the Stone Skin Realm now.

What a pity...

Back on Xuanxing, Jiang Shu woke from a nap.

Sunlight had long since filtered through the gaps in the curtains and fallen onto his bed. He rose and pulled the curtains open in one motion. Outside, the sky was azure, with white clouds drifting lightly.

It formed an exceptionally stark contrast with Pingling County's gloomy weather.

Unable to resist looking up at the dazzling sun, Jiang Shu narrowed his eyes, opened the window, and took a breath of fresh air before picking up his phone.

One missed call.

Jiang Shu called back. "Uncle Zheng, what is it?"

"You brat, how could you keep something this big from me? If the Martial Arts Promotional Video weren't about to air, and Miss Ye hadn't added your personal introduction at the beginning, I wouldn't even have known your Horse Stance had reached perfection."

Zheng Yanbo's voice carried a trace of reproach, but even more familiarity.

In his estimation, it had indeed been possible for Jiang Shu to attain the Whole Body Qi and Blood Great Circulation before the College Entrance Examination.

But actually reaching it and merely guessing at it were two entirely different things!

What was more, judging by the timing, Jiang Shu had reached perfection in the Horse Stance some time ago.

With such talent, he might well ride the wind and rise with the great changes to come.

"I only just got there by luck. I've been consolidating it these past few days."

Jiang Shu felt a little embarrassed. He really had been rather busy during this period. After filming the Martial Arts Promotional Video, he had basically immersed himself in martial arts training. His Martial Dao realm improved day by day, but he hardly socialized at all.

Even at home, he would eat, chat idly with his family for a few sentences, and then immediately return to his room to rest.

After his parents fell asleep, he would travel to Pingling County and continue training.

In these five days, his progress in Martial Dao had already far surpassed the more than ten days of training he had done before filming the Martial Arts Promotional Video!

Jiang Shu breathed steadily. Zheng Yanbo's voice sounded from the other end of the phone again. "So, do you have an Academy in mind?"

"Shengjing or Jiangnan, probably. It depends on the benefits offered by the two Academies. Uncle Zheng, your information network is so well-connected. Is there anything you can reveal to me?" Jiang Shu asked with a smile.

"Oh, when you need something, it's Uncle Zheng. When you don't, you can't even make a phone call, is that it? Shengjing Academy and Jiangnan Academy each have their advantages and disadvantages. Competition at Shengjing Academy is fiercer."

"Jiang Shu, in Jicheng, you might be the best. But Jicheng is only a second-tier city, and there is an enormous gap between it and Shengjing. In Shengjing, once a policy comes down, who knows how many high school students switch to practicing Martial Dao. Those with outstanding talent have likewise reached the Qi and Blood Great Circulation."

"When talent is equal, what matters later is family circumstances. So at Shengjing Academy, Jiang Shu, you must be prepared for the possibility of becoming the tail of the phoenix. Don't let your mindset collapse the moment you enter."

"Human nature is all the same. Back when your Uncle Zheng was in Shengjing, I saw no shortage of Shengjing Academy students—heavenly prodigies who had once stood high above others in county towns and second- or third-tier cities, believing their academic talent to be exceptional. After entering Shengjing Academy, they were struck blow after blow until they doubted their very lives."

"They retreated again and again in their studies, gradually becoming ordinary people. I imagine Martial Dao is the same. Temperament is extremely important. You must absolutely be mentally prepared for this."

Zheng Yanbo earnestly instructed him.

"There's competition everywhere."

Jiang Shu did not care much about that. The more he learned about Pingling County, the clearer his goal became.

What Pingling County lacked most were martial arts resources.

As for Martial Dao methods, he had the Hungry Tiger Howling Mountain Force, enough to cultivate all the way to Bone Forging.

But Exotic Beast Meat alone was far too scarce.

His first requirement for entering an Academy was sufficient Exotic Beast Meat!

Even Fox Bear meat, which did not suit him particularly well, could increase his training progress by around twofold.

What if he could obtain enough Exotic Leopard Meat at an Academy, or even tiger meat?

As long as he could bring the Refining, Nourishing, Striking Three Methods to perfection, he could nurture power within himself.

For martial artists on Xuanxing, unleashing Ming Jin might require talent.

But for him, all it required was resources!

Shengjing or Jiangnan—whichever gave more, he would go there.

"Uncle Zheng, I'm not afraid of competition. What I need is the freedom to remain undisturbed by worldly matters, and sufficient investment in martial arts resources early on. Which Academy do you think would be better? If neither Shengjing nor Jiangnan is suitable, what about Donghai or Tianshu?"